Compression shorts or pants have become widely used and accepted as a garment for active individuals and athletes engaged in sports and physical activity ranging from walking to football. The basic function of compression shorts is to serve as an athletic girdle and support the muscles of the abdomen, lower back and thighs. This is accomplished through the use of stretch fabric which is placed in tension as the pant is pulled into position on the wearer's body. Typically available in either thigh or knee-length styles and in various colors, compression shorts are soothing and comfortable as well as fashionable and functional and are ideal for groin, quad, hamstring and stomach muscle compression.
Active individuals and athletes that commonly wear compression shorts may develop muscle or joint pain in various regions of the pelvic area, such as the lower back and hips, possibly resulting from injury, arthritis, stress or overuse. It is believed by some that such pain responds to magnetic fields. For instance, one study published by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in November 1997 entitled "Response of Pain to Static Magnetic Fields in Postpolio Patients: A Double-Blind Pilot Study", found that the application of a device delivering static magnetic fields of 300 to 500 Gauss over a pain trigger point results in significant and prompt relief of pain in postpolio patients suffering from myofascial and arthritic pain.
As a result, magnetic products designed to provide pain relief are quickly gaining popularity. "Magnet Therapy" is used among athletes and other active individuals for relief from and prevention of injuries and other ailments.